1. Field
The invention is in the field of apparatus to aid in viewing plates with a plurality of separate sample locations with separate samples at a plurality of the sample locations to be individually aligned with a viewing field of a microscope so that each sample can be selectively and separately viewed under the microscope.
2. State of the Art
Various microscope plates are available which have a plurality of separate sample locations for separate samples at each of the separate sample locations to be separately view under a microscope. Each sample location with a sample must be individually aligned with a viewing field of the microscope used so that each sample can be selectively and separately viewed under (through) the microscope. Many of these plates are referred to as “microplates” and/or “crystallography plates” and are used in the biotechnology field for growing protein and other biological crystals. Such plates are available from Hampton Research, C. A. Greiner & Sohne Gesellschaft m.b.H., and Corning Incorporated. These plates have a plurality of sample wells therein with each well having a relatively small reservoir for receiving a protein solution and a reagent solution (the Greiner wells have three small reservoirs) and a relatively large reservoir for receiving a reagent solution that has a higher concentration than the reagent solution within the relatively small reservoir. The protein solution and reagent solution in the relatively small reservoir interact with the reagent solution in the relatively large reservoir via a vapor diffusion process which enables the formation of protein crystals within the relatively small reservoir. The relatively small reservoirs are then inspected, either by automated equipment or manually under a microscope, to determine the results of the process taking place in wells. The plates are generally of rectangular configuration with the wells arranged in a grid having a plurality of rows and columns. The number of wells in a plate vary, with each of the manufacturers mentioned above making plates with 96 wells, arranged in rows and columns, which are each individually examined when the plate is examined manually under a microscope. For such examination, the plate has to be moved in relation to the microscope so that each of small reservoirs of each of the 96 wells is moved into viewing position and viewed by the microscope. Examples of the identified plates are shown in U.S. Published Patent Application Pub. No. US 2002/0141905 A1.
A new plate available from Corning, the Corning CCP 384 NT Crystallization Plate, has 192 wells each having a relatively small reservoir and a relatively large reservoir. The wells are arranged in the plate in sixteen rows and twelve columns. The sixteen rows are identified by letters A through P and the columns are identified by numbers 1 through 12. Thus, there are 192 wells to be individually examined when the plate is examined under the microscope. The plate is the same overall size as the 96 well plate so the wells are smaller and closer together than are the 96 wells in the 96 well plates. There are twice as many rows of wells in the 192 well plate than in the 96 well plate. With the 192 well plate, the plate has to be moved in relation to the microscope so that each of the 192 wells is moved into viewing position and viewed by the microscope. With either plate, the viewing operation is time consuming when the plate is merely placed on the microscope base and the plate is move manually on the base to align the individual wells with the viewing path of the microscope.
An indexing apparatus for use with the 96 well Corning and Greiner plates has been manufactured by DeBolt Machine & Fabrication of San Jose, Calif. and available for several years under the trademark SPEEDVIEW from Hampton Research of Aliso Viejo, Calif. The Speedview apparatus has a base platform which is secured to the microscope base and an index platform that is adjustably secured to the base platform. The index platform has a slideway in which the plate is placed and along which it slides in one plane. The plate slides in the one plane to move from well to well along a single row of wells in the plate. The index platform is adjustably moved with respect to the base platform once the base platform is secured to the microscope base to select a particular row. A column of indexing holes on each side of a view through area (where the microscope views the sample in the plate through holes in the platforms of the indexing apparatus) of the indexing platform receives a pin extending from the base platform on each side of a view through area of the base platform to secure the index platform on the base platform in a selected position so that a row of wells can be viewed through the microscope by sliding the plate in the slideway. The pins are of one quarter inch diameter and the receiving holes are of mating diameter to provide proper movement of the indexing platform in relation to the base platform to move the indexing platform and slideway therein the proper distance to align adjacent rows of wells for microscope viewing. Further, the size of the pins and receiving holes ensure that the pins can only be placed in opposite holes of the columns to prevent the angling of the indexing platform on the base platform to ensure proper alignment of the rows of wells under the viewing area of the microscope. While the original Speedview apparatus works well for the 96 well plates, it does not work for the new 192 well Corning plate. The new 192 well plate has more rows that are closer together so requires smaller adjustment capabilities.